Value of "daddy warbucks" balabushka ?

[elvicash]

its possible to play for years with a cue for years and not put a ding or dent in it.

You've never seen my game!

So AZ do not loan a cue to Jason. Jason watch your cue handling and you will be more aware of your cue when you play.

A tip on handling the cue straight from Danny D. When you are not shooting but waiting your turn at the table do not have your hand high on the shaft near the tip/ferrule. It will get hotter and sweatier you should hold the cue lower near the joint or the fat of the taper this will help keep the shaft clean and dry and it also does more of the same for your hands. I still grab and hold my cue high quite a bit as soon as I notice whatI am doing I move my hand down and I think this is a tip worth implementing. Thanks Danny. old school tips add up to improved play.

 

[measureman]

Priceless cues not being played with and sitting in closets?
Looks like I should take out the legendary Lucasi and play with it now and then.:grin:

 

[Gerry]

seriously you guys......back in the day I bought a Richard Black, Black Baron with 4 shafts, 1 being a snooker shaft. Many guys in the pool room said.....Gman, put that thing away and play with one of those Black Boars you have :grin:.....
I didn't listen to any of them and I sold the Black, the Boar, the Scruggs, and the Mottey, and went into the plumbing business!!!!:grin-square:


To this day I am the owner of that plumbing business, and I am still ready to buy back those awsome cues if you put them in front of me.

if you have my old Maryland cues....bring em to the DCC for cash!!!!!




G.

 

[dave_k]

cues purposely built to be collectible should be looked at and hit balls here and there, cues that were built for playing then later in life deemed collectible should always be played

 

[Ken_4fun]

Until I see it, I call BULL$HIT.

I see Palmers all the time that arent Palmers.

I see $10K cues that I wouldnt give $100 for (they arent worth anything).

Hell there is a Meucci on Ebay that a Shiek owned,,,,

At 47 years old, Im not a gulliable as others on this site.

Ken

 

[pdcue]

Until I see it, I call BULL$HIT.

I see Palmers all the time that arent Palmers.

I see $10K cues that I wouldnt give $100 for (they arent worth anything).

Hell there is a Meucci on Ebay that a Shiek owned,,,,

At 47 years old, Im not a gulliable as others on this site.

Ken

Ken,

It's authentic - this is the cue I passed on in 1979 because the
owner wanted $350.

Dale

 

[maha]

play with it that is what it is for. heck it is only worth about what a good used car would cost. you wouldnt put the car away and not drive it. i play with mine and other classics and even break with them. but not too hard.

 

[Zbotiman]

Hmmmm

A good friend of mine owns an old Balabushka that was made for and used by Hubert Cokes. It has his name in the clear plastic-like area near the end of the butt. The authenticity of the cue was verified a number of years ago by Nick Varner. Nick's Dad and Hubert were close friends. The cue is in its original condition, even the wrap. It has five Balabushka shafts with it. This is still my friends personal playing cue. Can any of you cue experts out there give me some idea on what this cue is worth? Sorry, but there are no pictures available.

...You might like to know, that cue came from Cokes directly to Gary Spaeth when he was about 15, later, Joe Burns got hold of it and sold it sometime in the 70's. That Gary had this cue, might add some "REAL" value to it as well!

P.S. Gary L-O-V-E-D, that, cue, and often remarked that he wished he'd never let it go even for a moment. He tried several times to get it back from Burns, with no success. Gary's claim was that Joe loaned him some money for it against a stake and would not sell it without giving Gary first chance at buying it back for the same money. In the end though, Joe wasn't having any of that, he told me personally, the cue was, as Jay Helfert said, Priceless!

 

[pdcue]

...You might like to know, that cue came from Cokes directly to Gary Spaeth when he was about 15, later, Joe Burns got hold of it and sold it sometime in the 70's. That Gary had this cue, might add some "REAL" value to it as well!

P.S. Gary L-O-V-E-D, that, cue, and often remarked that he wished he'd never let it go even for a moment. He tried several times to get it back from Burns, with no success. Gary's claim was that Joe loaned him some money for it against a stake and would not sell it without giving Gary first chance at buying it back for the same money. In the end though, Joe wasn't having any of that, he told me personally, the cue was, as Jay Helfert said, Priceless!

Are you sure this is the same cue - Gary owned an inlaid Bushka that wound up in the hands
of Rick Garison, but that was many years later (1989-90?). It was previously owned by Bobby Hawkins,
one of the better players in Dayton at the time.

Joe bought the Warbucks Bushka from Charlie Banker, a one time
resident of Dayton, in around 1978-79. The current owner bought it
from Joe. I had never heard of Gary owning this one.
............................................................................................

Wekend update.

I spoke with my source again. He bought Jim Rempe's Bushka from Joe in 1975 or 76. At that time
Joe had both Rempe's Rambow butt Bushka AND the Warbucks Bushka.
Sooooooooo, it would appear, Charlie bought it from Joe, then sold it back to him.
It's entirely possible Joe got it from Gary originally.

Dale<Bushka maven and roving reporter>
.....................................................................................



Dale<who realizes there are many things he has never heard of>

 

[will8834]

There is also a case floating around that was Huberts. It has his name on it. A friend of mine sold it a few years ago at the erby. It would be something if the cue and case found each other again.

 

[Island Drive]

Ask Varner if there's doubt, he was under Huberts wing during the Johnson City Days and I'm sure Nick had seen, and probably hit balls with it when he was young.

 

[deanoc]

Dennis Glenn,the pool cue collector from Houston,once showed me the Gina cue that Hubert Cokes played with and a titleist owned by Titanic Thompson

Hubert was rumored to have won over $100,000 from Titanic playing pool back in the 50's,quite a sum in those days.The rumor was told to me at the Cotton Bowling Palace in Dallas in 1964

The Ginacue had an Ivory butt sleve from the wrap down to the butt with ebony windows framed with veneers as best as I remember

Dean

 

[Zbotiman]

reply

Are you sure this is the same cue - Gary owned an inlaid Bushka that wound up in the hands
of Rick Garison, but that was many years later (1989-90?). It was previously owned by Bobby Hawkins,
one of the better players in Dayton at the time.

Joe bought the Warbucks Bushka from Charlie Banker, a one time
resident of Dayton, in around 1978-79. The current owner bought it
from Joe. I had never heard of Gary owning this one.
............................................................................................

Wekend update.

I spoke with my source again. He bought Jim Rempe's Bushka from Joe in 1975 or 76. At that time
Joe had both Rempe's Rambow butt Bushka AND the Warbucks Bushka.
Sooooooooo, it would appear, Charlie bought it from Joe, then sold it back to him.
It's entirely possible Joe got it from Gary originally.

Dale<Bushka maven and roving reporter>
.....................................................................................



Dale<who realizes there are many things he has never heard of>

...Um, Gary NEVER owned that Buska, that was my cue until I quit playing pool altogether and sold it to Rick. I bought that cue from Joe Burns in the spring of 1980, and sold it to Rick for $1250. in Oct. of 1986 with six shafts, 2-Buska, 2-Strouds, and 2-Szamboti's, Gus made for me in 84 when Rick and I went to his shop in Penndel, Pa. Rick sold the cue to a collector the month the "Color of Money" came out for $7250. So Gary Never owned that cue. In fact, the story Garrison told me many years ago (and we still talk regularly) was that cue was sold by the guy he sold it to for 25,000. in Japan where that cue is said to be today.

Gary did have two of my Szamboti's, though, we traded for each others cue's a couple of times, once in 83 once in 85. But never my Buska. Gary would get ALL fired up about my cue and go nuts about that cue, Cokes gave him when he was a teenager. He was pissed Joe wouldn't sell it back to him so I heard the story M-A-N-Y times. He was convinced Joe Burns "STOLE that cue from him" and believed he was hood winked on the deal. And, I am certain, that Cokes Balabushka is a one of a kind cue Gary owned for several years when he was a teenager.

Now you've got part of my Balabuska's story right in that Bobby Hawkins owned that Buska in the 70's. Now the story Bobby told me about that cue, goes like this, after a particularly bad day at the table he threw it across the room and cracked the handle on it, sold it to "old man Burns," and who had Billy Stroud fix it for him.

The story I was told by Gary several times, goes like this, Joey was in Johnson City and Gary was there with him "firing, his favorite cross corner." Cokes was watching "Young Spud" hittin' that shot with a house cue, Cokes gave him the cue, growling, "can't stand to watch you hittin that, that good, with that thing. Young man, you need a GUN!"

In the end though, Gary was heart-broken he lost the cue and never really felt right about the circumstances.

Now I also heard Joe Burns side of it, later on, from Joe, (he wanted to get that cue back and sell it to me) it was nothing like Gary's side of the story. However, in this particular deal, I tended to believe Gary, because Joe was very LUSTFUL of that Hubert Cokes cue! Now there possibly could have been someone middle the original transaction between Gary and Joe Burns, in the fronting of the money for the cue with Gary when he lost possession of it, that I wouldn't know. Gary just said Burns got it from him.

 

[pdcue]

...Um, Gary NEVER owned that Buska, that was my cue until I quit playing pool altogether and sold it to Rick. I bought that cue from Joe Burns in the spring of 1980, and sold it to Rick for $1250. in Oct. of 1986 with six shafts, 2-Buska, 2-Strouds, and 2-Szamboti's, Gus made for me in 84 when Rick and I went to his shop in Penndel, Pa. Rick sold the cue to a collector the month the "Color of Money" came out for $7250. So Gary Never owned that cue. In fact, the story Garrison told me many years ago (and we still talk regularly) was that cue was sold by the guy he sold it to for 25,000. in Japan where that cue is said to be today.

Gary did have two of my Szamboti's, though, we traded for each others cue's a couple of times, once in 83 once in 85. But never my Buska. Gary would get ALL fired up about my cue and go nuts about that cue, Cokes gave him when he was a teenager. He was pissed Joe wouldn't sell it back to him so I heard the story M-A-N-Y times. He was convinced Joe Burns "STOLE that cue from him" and believed he was hood winked on the deal. And, I am certain, that Cokes Balabushka is a one of a kind cue Gary owned for several years when he was a teenager.

Now you've got part of my Balabuska's story right in that Bobby Hawkins owned that Buska in the 70's. Now the story Bobby told me about that cue, goes like this, after a particularly bad day at the table he threw it across the room and cracked the handle on it, sold it to "old man Burns," and who had Billy Stroud fix it for him.

The story I was told by Gary several times, goes like this, Joey was in Johnson City and Gary was there with him "firing, his favorite cross corner." Cokes was watching "Young Spud" hittin' that shot with a house cue, Cokes gave him the cue, growling, "can't stand to watch you hittin that, that good, with that thing. Young man, you need a GUN!"

In the end though, Gary was heart-broken he lost the cue and never really felt right about the circumstances.

Now I also heard Joe Burns side of it, later on, from Joe, (he wanted to get that cue back and sell it to me) it was nothing like Gary's side of the story. However, in this particular deal, I tended to believe Gary, because Joe was very LUSTFUL of that Hubert Cokes cue! Now there possibly could have been someone middle the original transaction between Gary and Joe Burns, in the fronting of the money for the cue with Gary when he lost possession of it, that I wouldn't know. Gary just said Burns got it from him.

OK, so this is why cues need serial numbers.

I had the inlaid Buska Hawkins told me had been his at Oakley one day
when Gary was there. He asked me if I was following him around
buying up his old cues. I had purchased his 'old' hoppe conversion
Szamboti from 'Guitar Bill' Gibbs. I assumed that ment Gary once owned it.
But we all know about assuming don't we?

So, wandering back to the actual subject of the thread - what do you think the
Warbucks Bushka is worth? FWIW - Denny Glen and I discussed
it in (1990?) - it was at Grady and Pete's One Pocket Tourney in Philly
He said the value would be 3 or 4 times that of a twin Bushka that had
my name in it.

I told Mike<the current owner> 10-ish years ago I would guess $25k,
but what do I know?

Dale

 

[book collector]

The owner of this cue told me a funny story that happened soon after he bought it from Joe Burns.
Joe was in the hospital and sold it to him.
He took it to a major tournament and several players recognized the cue and held him hostage until they called Joe and verified he had sold it.
There are a lot of twists and turns still not told in this story, but those I am saving for my book.

 

[JB Cases]

Put it on Ebay with no reserve and you will see the value. All the collectors will know it's there and you won't have to worry about trying to make a deal or whether you left money on the table.

 

[JB Cases]

I respectfully disagree.

IF I were a good violinist I WOULD play a strad.

When I get all filthy "Oprah Rich" I will buy a Gus, and I WILL play with it.

I won't abuse it, I I'll care for it like the FUNCTIONAL art it is, but the way to enjoy it is to feel that PING! and what it move the rock.

If I got filthy rich there is one cue maker's cues I would buy up and then bandsaw them. I'd erase every trace of his work that I could get my hands on. I am a little vindictive.......

Other than that I totally agree about playing with cues you own. I asked Will if he drives the rare cars he owns and he said YES he does all are titled and road ready and they get driven.

 

[steveinflorida]

If his ownership adds more than 10% I would be supprised. There is a Ray Martin Buska for sale for 40k and that has been for sale for quite a while it is a pretty fancy for a Balabushka, I am not sure that prior ownership adds that much to the cues value but of course that is my opinion, I am not a cue appraisor.

I have brokered a few deals for 'famous player' cues, and believe me,
it can ad a lot to the selling price. Much, much more than 10%.

BTW, the Ray Martin cue you speak of is considered by many as a one of a kind Balabushka. It has the split diamonds on the butt sleeve and they
are tilted at the top looking to some like angel wings. Very unique. AND,
one of the greatest players on earth owned and played with it.
I gotta go with Jay on this one ---Priceless, ( to a knowledgeable collector.)
As always, just MHO.

 

[Black-Balled]

Interesting read, folks...thanks for the input. Amazing place, this AZB.

And if I had Paul Newman's Porsche, you bet your poopie panties that I wouldn't be driving it to the pool room weekly.

 

[spktur]

A couple of weeks ago Nick stopped by and we were playing and talking and cues and cue collecting came up and Nick said back when he was running with Hubert that Hubert asked him if he would like a Balabuska cue. Hubert was friends with George and could easily get him one, but Nick being young and not having any idea what the future would be told Hubert he liked the cue he had and really didn't need it. And he has never owned a Balabuska. He did recently get a super Manzino and a really nice Tascarella.